The Afghan Taliban has said that despite the ongoing talks with the US and other regional powers, it had “not yet reached” any conclusion that would entail an immediate end to hostilities against America and its allies, according to a media report.

“We are forced to wage war. Our enemies are attacking us; therefore, we are also combating them,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid was quoted as saying by DawnNewsTV.

The Taliban control nearly half of Afghanistan, and are more powerful than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.

In a series of tweets after six days of talks with the Taliban representatives in Doha last month, Special US Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said the US has made “significant progress” in its peace talks with the Taliban.

“We have a draft of the framework that has to be fleshed out before it becomes an agreement,” Khalilzad said at the time. “The Taliban have committed, to our satisfaction, to do what is necessary that would prevent Afghanistan from ever becoming a platform for international terrorist groups or individuals.”

Since being appointed in September, Khalilzad has met with all sides in an attempt to end America’s longest war in which the US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in more than 17 years.

But Mujahid said that, even in Moscow talks, nothing concrete was achieved that would compel them to end the war and military pressure, the channel reported.

He insisted that the Taliban are holding talks with the United States “on their own initiative”.

Responding to a question regarding the timing of the talks, the militant commander explained that, even prior to the US invasion, the Taliban had asked Washington to engage in dialogue instead of war,  the channel said.